


Wants, Needs, and Everything In Between

by SpicyPoliceman



Category: Camp Camp (Web Series)
Genre: Enemies to Friends, Gender Neutral Counselor!Reader, Jealousy, Multi, Pining, Rating may go up, Slow Burn, Unrequited Crush, get your asses ready for some pining Daniel, slight angst
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-06-29
Updated: 2017-08-31
Packaged: 2018-11-20 17:24:30
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 17,291
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11339976
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SpicyPoliceman/pseuds/SpicyPoliceman
Summary: You never even wanted him back in the first place. You hated his guts and he couldn't blame you. So then how could he ever possibly expect anything different? Anything more?





	1. A Bad Idea

**Author's Note:**

> If Camp Camp makes a comeback with an episode that slaps, then my ass might as well write something like this, yeah?
> 
> Music inspirations:  
> WYRD- Glass Animals  
> Hazey - Glass Animals  
> Erode - Tender  
> Georgia - Vance Joy  
> I Love You - Woodkid

    "David, are you sure?"

    He rubbed his arm. "Well, yes. Regardless, even I have to admit, we could still use the extra help…”

    You would consider waiting until someone else responding to the ad, but you had a very strong hunch that no one else would drop by. Daniel was still the only applicant. You sighed and felt uneasy with your limited options. "If he knows what's good for him, he won't try anything again." You grinned and punched his arm lightly. "And if he wants to throw down with you, you let me know, alright?"

    David chuckled and threw his arm over your shoulder, "Thanks, Y/N."

* * *

    The Quartermaster was left in charge while you two were absent. It wasn't going to be long. The drive to the hospital itself wasn't too much of a hassle. It wasn't even hard to pinpoint where the ambulance took him as there was only one hospital in town. You checked in and were directed to his room number. You were surprised he managed to make it out alive. Although you don't recall rat poison being terribly lethal to humans, a considerable amount was poured into the Kool-Aid, after all. You don't know exactly how much he accidentally drank but it was clearly enough to land him in the emergency room. 

    You arrived on the floor and a kind nurse offered to take you to his room. Your nose twitched at the stench of the antiseptic and disinfectant that lingered in the cool air. The fluorescent lights shining on the glossy tile floors and white walls were glaring. You made sure to stay close to David’s side. You hated hospitals.

    The nurse stopped in front of Daniel’s room and knocked on the door. She asked if he was willing to accept anymore visitors. It took him a few seconds to answer and you all thought he was going to reject the visit, but a soft ‘Alright’ sounded behind the door. You thanked the nurse as she let you both inside.

    The room was quaint but tidy. Boring and dull and unassuming. Sunlight peeked through the cracked blinds. A hushed chatter and static sounded from the overhanging TV but it was ignored. Daniel was sat up on his bed with a book in hand, his back against a pillow. For the most part, he looked pretty alright. Although slightly pale, he at least didn't look like a ghost fresh from the grave. The dark circles under his eyes were even minimal at best. You could see bruising along his arms but they were fading. IV needles were still attached to his arm. Hearing you two walk into the room, he looked up from his book and his eyebrows knit together.

    David piped up from beside you and greeted Daniel as if he wasn't someone who tried to sabotage the camp, to say the very least. "Hiya, Daniel! How 're you feeling?"

    He resumed his reading, "You two must really be dull to be here." 

    You only scoffed and crossed your arms. The things you'd do if he wasn't already in a hospital. 

    "I think the word you're looking for is worried, friend." David frowned slightly. "We just wanted to drop by and see how you were holding up! I brought some magazines and books in case you were bored - well, they're camp manuals and catalogs but you can never be too enlightened-" He dropped the pile onto a nearby table, "-and some jigsaw puzzles to keep you occupied. I didn't know which ones you'd like so I brought all of them!” Daniel looked unamused with the items and said nothing. David shifted beside you,  "The doctors said you'd be back in shape by next week. We’re all looking forward to having you back.”

    The blonde flipped a page. "I don't recall ever saying I'd go back to working at your silly little camp."

    You spoke up for the first time since you entered, "Then I guess you'd like prison better." You stared him down. Surely enough, his gaze met yours. He was hard to read. You didn’t like that. But you knew he was considering something- perhaps weighing the consequences. David was still hopeful of him but you knew what the police would do to someone with his caliber of charge. You wondered why he wasn’t being watched by cops and you figured he could have been in good enough shape to be taken to prison already. Daniel broke your silent competition and looked back down at his book.

    “Maybe." 

* * *

     Soon enough, Daniel was physically able to return to the camp and when he did, the children were more than surprised to see him again. 

    "What the fuck is he doing back here?" Max was the first to speak up.

    David started, "I know things have been a little haywire-"

    You interjected, "But to be brutally honest, you guys are a pain in the ass and the ad in the paper was for good reason. Don’t get us wrong, we still hate him as much as you do. Now, if he tries anything, we promised we wouldn't make this easy for him. Isn't that right?" You smiled at Daniel. He gave you a sneer.

    “But! Do try to make an effort to be kind!” David grinned,” There’s no better weapon than a good ol’ smile and hug!”

    The campers chattered and whispered among themselves; Max and Neil seemed particularly concerned but, to your surprise, they did not voice it. Perhaps they knew just as well as you did that this was a bad idea. 

* * *

     The cheerful albeit borderline creepy co-counselor that arrived and apparently died at Camp Campbell a month or two ago seemed to have left behind something much worse in his wake. Daniel, no longer having a reason to keep up a charade anymore, was as sour as you knew he'd be. Maybe even more so. Of course, there were preliminary checks. Guns? No. Harmful chemicals? Nope. Poison? Surprisingly not. Additionally, he was kept under close watch in case he thought about tricking a camper into ingesting questionable materials again or sacrificing them to some vague deity. He still made subtle insinuations about “negative emotions” and “cleansing”, but as far as you knew, he hadn’t made any moves. You still don’t know why the authorities haven’t taken him in already.

    Moving into the counselor’s cabin was his first offense. He had the audacity to make a face at the crudeness and modesty of the space. Now of course, the cabin wasn’t a castle but it sure as hell wasn’t the backwater pigsty that Daniel looked like he thought it was. He’d taken another look around the cabin and claimed the largest space in it. Naturally, you didn’t let it slide. But David had pulled you aside and explained that if Daniel was going to take up being a co-counselor, you two might as well give him what he wanted for the time being (that is, if it was unrelated to death, poison or flammability). And so you let him have the space. The worst part? He barely used it. During after hours, he would relax near the amphitheater, the lake, a campfire – anywhere but the cabin itself.  As far as you knew, he only entered the cabin to sleep or freshen up. Frequently, you considered sabotaging his things, and although each ploy was more tempting than the last, you didn’t want to bring yourself down to that level.

    Getting him to wear the counselor’s uniform – that was also a chore. His wardrobe had consisted entirely of whites and grays and anything in that spectrum. He refused to wear anything that wasn’t greyscale. It took some convincing and negotiating to make him wear the uniform, but when he did- and you had to admit this- it became slightly difficult to discern him from David. If they had matching hair and eye colors, the resemblance would have been completely uncanny. If it came to that, his voice, you would say, would be the primary giveaway. It was slightly lower than David's, maybe a bit deeper too. It took you some time, but you began to pick up on a few things. Daniel carried himself differently than David. You don't know if it was strange that you could tell, but it was something you couldn't help but notice. David had an undeniable pep in his step; whereas Daniel moved...as if he was always scheming, if that made any sense. He was quite gestural too but much less so. More often than not, his presence seemed more observational than instructing. Their similar looks wasn’t necessarily a huge problem – but it certainly made work around camp a bit stranger.

    Daniel’s next offense: his terrible, condescending attitude. He was stubborn, spoiled, and prideful. Awful to the core. David, the poor guy, on the other hand, insisted on seeing the good in him, which you strongly doubted even existed. Every verbal stab he took at David went straight over the redhead’s radar. You, on the other hand, were not so complacent and tolerant. You seemed to butt heads each hour on the dot. You’d ask him to put a box somewhere and he’d put it miles away from where it was supposed to be. You’d ask him to watch the kids for a minute and would come back to a free-for-all riot with one smug asshole watching like he was in an IMAX theater. You’d ask him to fetch some fruit from the Dining Hall and he’d bring back a tomato and two olives (he wasn’t wrong but those weren’t in mind when you asked for fruits).

    By the time you listed Daniel’s umpteenth offense, you were on your wits end with him. If you could wring your hands around his neck, you would. You’d sell him to Satan for one corn chip. Anything to not have to deal with him on a day to day basis. So what was stopping you? Quite frankly, it was his presence as a third co-counselor. God, was it difficult to persuade him to actually do the work but when he did, he did it pretty well. He was very good with keeping the children in line. Or, you should say, scaring them into said line. You could tell when he reached his limit and so did the children. Once the campers got out of control, it was difficult for David and you alone to tone things back down. But with Daniel…Hell, all it took from him was a creepy smile and head tilt and the kids were back in order. And with daily tasks and activities now divided between the three of you, you finally found yourself with a healthy amount of downtime. For the first time in a very long while, you found work to not be more strenuous than it needed to be. Unfortunately, these new benefits outweighed your will to kick Daniel’s ass to kingdom come.  


	2. Favors

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sometimes, it's not easy to lend help to someone who simultaneously does and doesn't deserve it.

     Black coffee? In the afternoon? Yeah, sure, why the hell not. You took a modest sip and watched Preston and Harrison bicker over something from the mess hall window. Today was a free-activity day. The campers were allowed to engage in any pastime, so long as they stayed pre-occupied.

     Initially, the kids didn’t really like Daniel. They didn’t pester him the way they did with David and you. They wouldn’t dare slip a frog into his morning coffees or put thumbtacks on his seat. You figured they were scared of the possibility of him retaliating with something twice as bad. Hell, even Max stayed clear of Daniel. But you don’t blame them for being fearful of someone who’d brainwashed and nearly killed them.

     You rubbed your thumb along the handle of your mug and listened to the choppy hum of the overhead fan. That was the thing about working with Daniel. He was…unpredictable. Volatile. So much unlike David where you could tell that something was troubling him. You found yourself watching the guy like a hawk in case he did anything suspicious. As if he was some ticking time bomb that could explode at any given moment. The reminder that he could have wiped out the entire camp was something that loitered at the back of your mind.

     You wondered how desperate you were to have a third co-counselor. But the children have just been so difficult – with David most especially. The incident with the bonfire and the ritual was the last straw for you. He needed the cut in the workload more than you ever did. He deserved it. So sure, you’d keep Daniel in check and take care of whatever fucked up scheme he could possibly have up his sleeve – if David could have just one night that’s worth sleeping through.

     Fortunately, Daniel hadn’t done anything too drastic. Although he found some minor amusement in antagonizing the children from time to time, no actual harm was done to them. You don’t know if the campers started to realize that his bite was becoming weaker than his bark, but they started to open up to him. They started treating him like a counselor. Whether that was good or not was all up to him.

     Suddenly, the radio attached to your belt crackled on. “Y-Y/N?” It was David, and he sounded rather exasperated.

     You unclipped the gadget from your belt and asked, “What’s up? You okay?” You stood from your seat, ready to be on your way in case there was an emergency.

     “Yes, I’m okay but-“ You started heading for the door. It already started to sound like an emergency. “Out by the dock, c-can you come help? Nerris and Daniel fell i-“

     “On it. Over.” If it involved Daniel, then it must not have been good. You quickly grabbed a few towels from the supply room and headed out to the lake. Your coffee might be cold by the time you’re back, but you couldn’t really worry about that. Possibilities of what could have happened raced through your mind. Everything boiled down to one question: did Daniel finally snap and try to drown one of the campers? Anger and anxiety bubbled up inside you. You should’ve seen this coming. Well, actually, you did, but you didn’t expect it to happen today.

     You jogged down the hill with a stack of towels crowding your arms. By the time you arrived, David was sitting on a log with Nerris beside him. He was wringing the water from her cape when he looked up and noticed you. He gave a sigh of relief, “Thanks for coming. I’m really sorry to call you over during your break.”

     “No worries.” You quickly wrapped the girl up in a towel and dried her arms. "You okay, Nerris? Nothing’s broken? No cuts?”

     You knelt in front of her and picked off some wet leaves tangled in her hair when she nodded and grinned, “I’m okay! And look!” She held up a particularly dark acorn. “I managed to get a Dragon Seed! Now I can finally make a Golognorg!”

     You sighed and shook your head, “No Dragon Seed or whatever is worth your life.” Standing up, you looked over to David, who still seemed plenty worried. “You sure you’re alright?”

     He took one of the towels you laid out on the log and dried Nerris’ hair. “Everything’s fine now, yes.” He chuckled nervously. “I just- I thought things might get worse and I panicked a little. You can go back to your break, if you want!”

     You were about to head back to the mess hall when you noticed Daniel was no where to be seen. "Where's the scumbag?"

     “Who?”

     “Daniel.”

     "Ah, I-I think he went off to the cabin." You huffed and he quickly explained before you could stomp off, “But please don’t be angry with him! This wasn’t his fault.”

     Huh? You looked back at Nerris for some validation. She nodded, “He was the one who pulled me out of the lake.” She told you how she spotted the acorn on one of the trees by the lakeside. The branch with the acorn stretched out onto the deeper end of the lake. She was able to climb the trunk and reach the acorn but she had difficulty getting back down. Daniel, who so happened to be keeping watch, had followed Nerris over and was in the middle of scolding her when the branch beneath her snapped. He caught hold of her arm but was thrown off balance and pulled down back first into the lake along with her. David almost had a heart attack when he saw Daniel drag himself out of the lake with Nerris behind him.

     “Let’s get you into some dry clothes before you catch a cold, kiddo.” David stood up and kept the towel over her shoulders. “Can you go check on Daniel while I take Nerris back to the tents? It looked like he was hurt..."

     You couldn’t give a rat’s ass if he was injured but…“Alright, alright, I’ll go see if he’s okay.” David thanked you again before heading off.

     You gathered the leftover towels and made your way up to the counselor's cabin to soon find that, fortunately yet unfortunately, David's worries were correct. You spotted a few drops of blood that trailed up the path. How badly did the guy mess himself up? As you approached the cabin, you saw that the door was still open.

     You walked in and noticed he was looking for something in the kitchen area. His clothes and hair were still drenched. He looked strikingly like a rattled wet Labrador. "Daniel?" He jolted at the sudden sound of your voice. "Is uh…is everything okay?"

     Daniel shifted so that his back was to the counter. "I'm fine." You folded your arms and looked him over. His arms and legs seemed relatively unscathed. But he was standing strangely. He looked uncomfortable.

     "I saw a bit of blood on the way here.” You approached him with a frown, "Let me take a look at it."

      He drew away from your touch and said coldly. "It's alright. I can help myself. Just tell me where the first aid is.”

     "Bullshit. Just come here, will you?” You grabbed his shoulders and twisted him around. And oh boy, did you find his wound alright. The lower back of his shirt was ripped and you could see a deep gash right off the bat. Judging from how much blood there was, it could not have been any better. You carefully pushed the soaked fabric up higher along his back. It certainly looked gnarly. Although of the lacerations were not deep there were two or three that did seem alarming. You hoped it looked worse than it actually was. He must have been scraped against some sharp rocks when he caught Nerris.

     Daniel glared at you from over his shoulder, “Happy? Now just- leave me alone.”

     You let go of his shoulders and went to retrieve the medical kit from one of the cabinets. "You know this is probably going to need stitches, right?” You grabbed a towel and empty pail from under the sink and filled it with lukewarm water. “We should take you to the hospital in c-"

      "It's _fine_."

     You frowned and dropped the kit and pail on the table with your hand on your hip. "It clearly is _not_.” You didn’t know why he didn’t want to be taken to the hospital but you didn’t feel like arguing. You pressed the bridge of your nose, “At least let me patch this up for you. There’s no way you can properly take care of this yourself.”

     "I don’t want your help." He sneered and reached for the first aid kit.

     You slid the box farther from him. "Well, pal, you're getting it anyway." You took his wrist, dragged him over to the table and pulled out two chairs. “Sit.” Daniel averted his gaze and looked very unsatisfied with his situation. But reluctantly, he complied and took a seat with his back towards you. Pleased with his surprising obedience, you went to wash your hands and slip on some sterile gloves before taking a seat behind him. You held up his shirt. You would have suggested that he change into some dry clothes for the time being but his injury was of higher priority. Flipping open the first aid kit, you glanced up at him. His shoulders were tense. But he was quiet. You dipped the washcloth in the water and lightly washed away the blood and debris. You felt him wince as the fabric brushed over the abrasions. Picking out an alcohol pad and tearing it open, you quipped, "It was pretty nice of you to save Nerris like that."

     "You sound surprised."

     You unraveled the moist cloth and carefully pressed it onto the wounds. Daniel grunted under his breath. You hummed, “Would you rather have me ask why? Because I _am_ curious.” A few months ago, he tried to kill the campers, but now he'd saved one from nearly drowning and even allowed himself to get injured in the process. Whether there was some sick underlying reason behind it or simply pure instinct and reflex was unknown to you. ”Just so you know, you’re not getting brownie points for good deeds.”

     He said sarcastically, “I’m devastated.”

     You suddenly pressed down hard on one of the wider cuts with the alcohol pad and he hissed. You clicked your tongue and pouted cheekily, “Sorry.”

     “The hell you are…” He grumbled.

     With the excess blood wiped away, you realized the bleeding had just about stopped. That was a good sign. The lacerations that worried you were not as deep as you expected and did not reach far enough to hit muscle, but you still couldn’t count them as minor. Sure, you were in medical school for a year or so but that didn’t make you a certified doctor. You fished around the medical kit for antibiotic ointment. You began to suspect that one of you had forgotten to stock up when you found a packet under a pile of bandages. You squeezed a moderate amount on your fingertip and slathered it lightly over the cuts. You packed the area with some gauze and taped it down. “There. That should be good for now.” You moved back to inspect your dressing. Not bad. He’ll probably experience some bruising later on but there wasn’t much you could do about that.

     "Y/N? Daniel?" You saw David pop his head in.

     You called out, "Over here."

     He noticed the gauze on Daniel’s lower back and breathed out, “Boy am I glad to see you’re alright!” The blonde said nothing as he brushed past David to disappear into his room, closing the door behind him. David looked at you and rubbed his wrist. “How bad was it?”

     You gathered the empty wrappers and foils from the table. “A couple of cuts on his back. Some of them were pretty nasty.” You rose your voice purposefully, “A thank you would have been nice.”

     “Oh…”

     ”I suggested that we take him to the hospital to get stitched up, but he refused.” You tossed the wrappers into the trash can and put the first aid kit back into the cabinet. Turning the faucet on and running your hands under the water, you shrugged, “Didn’t really feel like arguing. If anything, we can throw him in the van and drive him there.”

     David chuckled, “Thanks anyway, Y/N. I know deep down, he appreciates it too!”

     You dried your hands off and smiled, “Doubt it, but you’re welcome. Now that I think about it, I should thank you too. Because now, he kinda owes me.”

* * *

          Luckily the rest of the day had gone by without anymore mishaps or injuries and carried on as per usual. David insisted that Daniel take it easy for the next few days, to which he did not object. Having just finished your last rounds for the day and retreated into the counselor’s cabin, you sat at your desk with your phone in one hand and your legs propped up. You glanced behind you. David was slouched over his desk. From where you sat, you could see that he was looking at his Memories board. He seemed lost in thought. You sighed and pushed off of your seat to walk over to the fridge. You pulled it open and stuck your head in. Bingo. You grabbed two cans of Coke that you could’ve sworn were gone three days ago and asked, “You’re pretty quiet tonight. Is everything okay?”

     He perked up and looked over. “Hm? Oh, yeah, I’m fine. It’s just that…” He exhaled and turned his gaze to the window, starting with a small voice, “How…how can I be a good camp counselor if I can’t even act accordingly when one of the kids is in danger?” Oh. He was thinking about that. David rested his cheek on the palm of his hand. “I knew I had to go help but…I didn’t act as fast as I should have. I panicked…If Daniel hadn’t been around…”

     You went to lean against his desk and cracked open your soda. “You did what you could, David. Look, Nerris didn’t get hurt, did she?” You drew back slightly from the fizz.

     “No…”

     “So then I would count that as a win either way. ” You bumped his shoulder with the second can of Coke and left it in front of him. You said gently, “Don’t be so hard on yourself.”

     “I guess you’re right.” He straightened himself out and took the drink with a soft smile. “Thanks, Y/N. Really.”


	3. Cooking Simulator

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Quartermaster is on his day off and you find that kitchen duty really isn't all that bad.

     "You have got to tell Nikki to stop jumping on your back. This is the second time your wound’s been reopened.”

     “Oh yeah, of course, as if I’m just begging her to use me like a jungle gym.”

     You tore off a strip of tape and finished Daniel’s new bandages, “As if _I’m_ obligated to do this every time she does.”

     “So then why do you?” He reclined on the couch with his hand supporting his head as he gave you a smug look.

     “Because unlike you, I think I’m a pretty decent person who helps people, no matter how shitty they may be.” You stashed the medical kit away and slid the chair back into its original place. “Don’t try to be slick. Now be careful with those cuts or else I’m gonna rip you some new ones myself.”

     “Ooh, I’m shaking in my boots.” He wailed sarcastically and sat up to follow you out.

     “Yeah, yeah. Go watch the kids while David and I prepare lunch, will you?”

     The Quartermaster was away on his day off, and neither you nor David bothered to question why, but since he rarely took off-days, he was let go. That meant at least one of you had to be in the kitchen to make breakfast, lunch and dinner among other things. You were about to start cooking with David when Dolph came up to you, saying that there was a ruckus going on outside. Not long after, you found Daniel stumbling around, spouting curses and ill words with Nikki whooping like madman on his back.

     You watched as he went off to tend to the campers. Harrison spotted him and piped up,“Daniel! How would you like to witness a brand new trick, never before seen by the hu-“

     “I would rather not, Harrison.”

     You would would have wished him luck, but you didn’t think it would have done him enough good. You pushed open the doors to the mess hall and chirped, “I’m back.” You heard David greet you from behind the counter. It looked like he was still setting up. “What’s on the menu?”

     “Today, we’ve got meatball heroes, tuna salad sandwiches, and apple slices!”

     “Hm, we haven’t had those in a while.” You readjusted the apron around your waist. “I think the campers would be happy.” You walked into the kitchen and paused mid-step. By all things holy. He was wearing a frilly, wine red apron with the words “Kiss the Cook” printed in script over the pocket. “…Nice apron.”

     His cheeks flushed and he rubbed the back of his neck with a sheepish chuckle, “Er, Max accidentally used my usual one during Fire Safety Camp.” You arched a brow. Accidentally, huh? “But on the bright side, he did learn from it! I think…”

     You washed your hands by the sink. “Don’t sweat it, it’s a good color on you.”

     “O-oh, you think so?” David glanced down at his apron and you grinned. He was in the middle of preparing the sandwiches, so in the meanwhile you might as well start cooking the meatballs. Having dried off your hands, you pulled open the freezer and scanned the shelves for the bowl he probably made beforehand. Oddly enough, they were nowhere to be seen.

     “Hey, did you make a batch of meatballs? Because if you did, they’re not in here.”

     “I did. Though, I checked this morning and they were gone. I think Max might have broken in again. Either that or the raccoons figured out how to pick locks.”

     “Wait, what would Max need a entire bowl of meatballs for anyway?”

     “I don’t know, but I’m not really looking forward to finding out.”

     “I guess I’ll just make another batch, then. We should really make this place raccoon and Max-proof.” You picked out a package of ground beef and closed the freezer. Any needed bowls, pans and measuring utensils were already put out into place on the counter. Out of all the campers, you’d have to say that Max was the most heinous of all of them. But the kid was clever, you’d give him that much. “Do you think we’ve made any progress with him? At all?”

     David sighed and put aside a packed sandwich, “It’s hard to tell, but I would very much hope so.”

     You glanced at him as you removed the saran wrap, “Did his parents ever call back?”

     “No”, he said uneasily.

     Your jaw clenched and looked back down at the bowl as you dropped the meat into it. You knew he’s been trying to get in touch with the boy’s parents for weeks now, but to no avail. Even you started to worry. You changed the topic. “Have you figured out the schedule for next week yet?”

     “Almost.” He tilted his head slightly, “Although, there might be a thunderstorm on Wednesday, so I’m still thinking of indoor alternatives.”

     You uttered a soft, “I see” as you searched the cabinets for garlic, pepper, salt, eggs, and breadcrumbs. “Hmm…Say, we haven’t really been focusing on Scotty lately. Did you make some time for him in the activity slots?”

     “Yep, Visual Comedy Camp is scheduled for Friday morning.”

     You took out a fork from the drawer and started to lightly mix the eggs in a different bowl. “You know, I kinda feel bad about it, but sometimes I forget he’s even here.”

     David teased, “Y/N, how _could_ you!”

     You laughed, “What? He’s just…never really around and when he is, he’s so quiet.” You pulled out the cutting board from the underhand cabinet and started to mince the garlic. “I mean, I’m not complaining about that, but you get my point.”

     “Well, we just haven’t gotten to know him well enough.”

     “Maybe.” With the garlic cut and the eggs beaten, you slipped on a pair of gloves and started to knead the ingredients into each other. “Is uh…is Behavioral Correction Camp on the schedule?”

     “Y-yes…”

     “Oh boy. Why don’t we let Daniel handle it this time?” You turned on the stove and drizzled some olive oil on the pan as you finished mixing the dry ingredients into the meat.

     “I couldn’t do that to him.”

     “But _I_ could. And who knows, maybe Nurf might actually listen to him.” With the meat and seasonings mixed sufficiently, you started to mold the meatballs. “Besides, remember what happened last time?” You saw David make a face and glance at the small scars on his hands. “If things go too far, I’ll try to take care of it, okay?”

     “You’ve got a point…Thanks, Y/N.” He watched as you placed some meatballs on the pan. “Do you want any help?”

     “Yeah actually, can you start cutting the buns, please?” David nodded and went to grab the bread from the pantry. Keeping an eye on the pan, you moved to preheat the oven. It wasn’t often that you two were on cooking duty, but it was the one task that didn’t get on your nerves. It was somewhat therapeutic to you. You flipped over some meatballs and asked, “We still have enough pasta sauce right?” He checked the fridge and confirmed that yes, there was enough pasta sauce. While you waited for the meat to fully cook, David started to clean up the kitchen.

     The next ten to fifteen minutes floated by silently save for the sound of sizzling meat, running water, kitchen fans, and muted yells from the outside. With all of the meatballs ready, you carefully tucked them into the buns David had pre-cut. You poured some sauce and sprinkled cheese over them before putting them into the oven. After pulling out the last set of subs from the oven and setting them down on the counter, you wiped the sweat off your brow. The mess hall really could have used some decent air conditioning.

     David, having finished washing the dishes, set his hands on his hips, “Well, I think we’re finally ready to serve lunch. Can you call the kids in?”

     “Sure.” You untied your apron, left it on the rack and pushed through the kitchen door. You stepped out of the mess hall and called out, “Hey, you little gremlins, lunch is ready!” The campers were in the middle of a rather wild looking game of Frisbee when the words “lunch” caught their attention. You held the door open as they poured in eagerly, Daniel skulking in after them.

* * *

 

     When the kids were all served and appeased, you counselors were able to relax and help yourselves. You were headed to your usual table with David when he caught a glimpse of Daniel, who was on his way out the door with his lunch.

     You tagged along as David approached the co-counselor, “Why don’t you come sit with us today?”

     Daniel looked past you two and grimaced. “…No thanks. I’d rather eat alone. Away from crap like _that_.” He nodded towards the table behind you. Nurf was trying to violently and persistently shove an apple slice down Harrison’s throat.

     “Oh, nonsense, consider it bonding time!” David grabbed his wrist dragged him to the table by the window. You followed them over with a smirk. Daniel rolled his eyes and snatched his wrist away from the redhead’s hand. He took a seat across from you two. He wasn’t pleased to be stuck in the mess hall but his dissatisfaction was your happiness. He quietly listened to you two chatter between bites before trying the food on his tray. David noticed the slight look of surprise on the blonde’s face and he smiled, “It’s pretty good, isn’t it? Y/N cooked them!”

     You were about remind him that he did help you, but Daniel spoke, “Oh, then in that case, I think it’s terrible and tastes like shit.” Your eye twitched. “But I’ll finish it out of pity from the goodness in my heart.”

     “The _what_ in your what.” David nudged you in the side and gave you that all too familiar ‘Be nice’ look. “That’s…so kind of you.” Nonetheless, you couldn’t help the pride blooming in your chest. You didn’t cook very often, but the payoff of creating something that people actually liked was promising. It was especially rewarding when it came from Daniel, solely because he was the type to be critical of everything. Maybe you should consider going to culinary school.


	4. A Little Too Close for Comfort

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> You should really keep a log of inventory.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Many thanks to those who left comments and kudos!

     It was one of those days – the ones where you simply didn’t feel like dragging yourself out of bed to go through another laborious day of dealing with troublesome kids and horrible plumbing. You cracked an eye open and squinted at your alarm clock. 6:12 AM. Was it Thursday? No, it was Wednesday…You rolled the pillow over your face and tried to smother yourself in the odd comfort of the cool fabric. The lull of sleep still tugged at your muscles but you sat up on your bed like a corpse in a casket. A job was a job. Your eyelids were heavy as you trudged to the bathroom. As if working purely on habit and muscle memory, you started to brush your teeth, tame the wild nest you called your hair, and throw on a uniform.

     David’s room was open and empty – a familiar sight. He was normally the first one up. You walked past and stole a glance at Daniel’s door. It was still closed; yet another familiar sight. You met with David in the mess hall, exchanging greetings with a cup of morning coffee before going over the day’s schedule.

     By 7:30, Daniel was finally awake and looking like he’d prefer to be killed twenty times over than be awake at such an ungodly hour. By 8:20 AM, the campers have been woken up and corralled into the mess hall for breakfast. Magic Camp was on the day’s primary agenda. Come 11:30 AM and the first slot of activities were already finished. Harrison almost broke his leg trying to perform a levitation trick, but that seemed to be the worst of it.

     “Daniel, can you take these back to the supply shed?” David finished gathering the last of the props into their respectable boxes and looked back at Daniel. He was leaned against a tree with his arms crossed over his chest.

     “ _Can_ I? Yes. _Would_ I? That depends.”

     You heaved a deep sigh and picked up two of the boxes, shoving them into Daniel’s arms. He fumbled with it before shooting a glare at you. You hauled up the last box and dragged Daniel off by his sleeve. You called back over your shoulder, “We’ll meet you back at the campfire, David.”

     “Thanks, you two!” David waved.

     Daniel had to be supervised at all possible times. Or at least, you thought so. David, although still very slightly cautious, insisted that Daniel wouldn’t “open up” and change unless he was shown trust. Naturally, you had ten reasons and then some to support why that wasn’t the best way to go about it. Daniel’s little heroic escapade didn’t deter your suspicions and you remained virtuous to the saying “Better safe than sorry”.

     “You know, I don’t need help carrying these boxes.”

     “I’m not doing this to help you. I’m doing this to make sure you don’t try to run off and sabotage the camp. And because I don’t have the patience for your bullshit today.” You set the boxes down on the ground in front of the shed. You fished for the keys in your pockets before inserting them into the rusty padlock. Holding your breath, you pulled open the rickety wooden doors. You coughed as a puff of dust erupted in your face. Through the dust and shadows, you could see that the place was still as messy and unkempt as you last remembered it. David once attempted to organize and clean the shed, but decided to call it a day when he started finding…curious items that were probably Mr. Campbell’s. Sometimes, you really wished that sniveling conman would at least leave the camp with adequate funds.

     Daniel’s mouth was set in a hard line. “Why is it that when I think I’ve seen the worst of this camp, something else always comes by and tops it off? It’s amazing, really.”

     You said nothing, but you did agree with him. The boxes were put atop a stack by the left wall and you left in a hurry. You didn’t feel like messing up your lungs that day. You were finally free to take a deep breath of clean air when the the doors were closed and locked. Dusting off your hands on your shorts, you turned around and saw that Daniel had already started walking off towards the main campfire.

     You jogged to catch up to him and trailed close behind. The sun was starting to set behind the tree line. You paused as something on the ground in Daniel’s path caught the waning sunlight. “Wait, what’s that?”

     “Hm?”

      _Click_.

     You felt what seemed like a rope wrap around your ankles and you were knocked off balance. Everything happened far too quickly for you to react and before you knew it, you were on the ground with a firm weight over your chest. You opened your eyes. Sharp blues were looking down at you with a mix of astonishment and disgust.

     You wriggled underneath him and snapped, “Get off of me!”

     “Does it _look_ like I can, smartass?!”

     My God, he was right. Another rope was wrapped around both of your arms. You thought that maybe if you tried hard enough you could unroll the rope, but some higher universal force seemed to want you to kiss its ass because somehow they had interlocked themselves into twists that you couldn’t reach. Just your goddamn luck. You squirmed and tried to at least get back on your feet again but Daniel was holding you back. You managed to push yourself but that just rolled you two over a small dip in the ground. The only thing your struggling achieved was a measly switch in your positions.

     “You have got to be kidding me.” Your head was uncomfortably tucked under his chin. Your legs were awkwardly fitted, like puzzle pieces that just wouldn’t work.

     “Wow. All of our problems have instantly been solved. Good job!”

     “It’s not like I enjoy this more than you.”

     “Questionable.”

     “ _Excuse me_?”

     You could hear Max gawk from a distance, “Holy fuck, it actually worked!”

     “Whoo! We’re eating well tonight!” Nikki howled in victory.

     Neil made a sickened sound, “Nikki, that’s disgusting.”

     You tried to twist your neck so you could at least glare at the trio. “Where did you guys even get bolas?!”

     Nikki giggled, “In the shed, of course!”

     You hissed under your breath, “The shed? When did we - when did we ever get bolas?” You shot an accusatory glare at Daniel. He turned his head and shrugged.

     “Don’t look at me, these aren’t mine.”

     You groaned and spoke back to the three campers, “Look, just get us out of here, please?”

     Max stepped up and you could see that tell—tale, shit-eating grin on his face, “Only if you’re willing to make another deal.”

     “Of fucking course…What do you want this time?”

     “A lifted curfew for the next month, extra snacks around the clock, and access to your credit cards.”

     “ _What_? Max, that’s ridiculous!”

     Nikki pouted and Neil mumbled a “I told you they wouldn’t take it”.

     “Then I guess you’ll be stuck here for a while.” Max shrugged and turned on his heel. “You’d best get used to it.”

     The three kids went off on their way, wondering amongst each other about who they should test the trap on next. Daniel let his head fall back against the ground and sighed dramatically, "I hate this hell hole of a camp. This is all your fault."

     "Well if you hadn't triggered it, we wouldn't be in this mess, now would we?" You tried to lean as far away from him as possible.

     " _You're_ the one who was supposed to keep an eye on the little gremlins!"

     "How could I have known that they set this up?" You groaned in frustration. You had to call David for this. You tried to reach around for your radio but your hands were held firmly in place. You could see that the ropes had missed in pinning most of Daniel's left forearm and you dreaded what you had to ask. "I can't move my arms, do you think you can reach my radio?" He gave you an incredulous look and if you could use your hands you'd have slugged him square in the face. "Look here, lemon fuckstick, the longer we keep this waiting, the more likely those three little brats are to find David. And I am not in the mood to be stuck with you for who knows how long. So if you wanna get out of this, and I can’t believe I’m saying it, but David's our only hope right now.”

      Something very close to defiance flashed in his eyes and he growled, "I can get out of this myself." He started to struggle against the ropes, rolling and swaying you both around in the grass. One thing you’ve noted since Daniel’s furthered employment was that he was a smidge stronger than David. But the ropes were wrapped securely. You really doubted that he would be able to squeeze himself out of the rope or even loosen it enough to slip out. His struggling rolled you two onto your sides and you cursed yourself mentally. How could this happen to you…

     After a moment of you being pulled along with his fruitless wriggling, you seethed sharply, "You're not gonna be able to force yourself out!” He seemed to have finally burnt himself out as he slumped against the ground. You still saw a flicker of contempt in his eyes but for once his reason beat it out. He scoffed and looked away stubbornly. For a moment, you thought he’d rather you two be stuck together for all eternity. “Remember, you still technically owe me for helping you with your little wound.”

     “For the millionth time, I never asked for your help with that in the first place.”

     “Well it happened and you can’t take back treatment.”

     “Are you always this irritating?”

     “Gee, I figured you’d have noticed by now.” You were pleased when you felt him shift to reach for your radio. “And watch where your hand goes or else I'll make sure it’ll never be attached to your body ever again."

     Daniel huffed and glowered down at you. "You wish."

     You craned your head to the side and grimaced as he was forced to lean closer. 'Ugh gross' you thought. You felt him breathe onto your neck and a shiver scurried down your spine. God, why did this have to happen to you. And what kind of cologne was he wearing? It was far too strong and smelled obnoxiously expensive. A heavy, awkward silence hung over both of you. Your neck started to ache and you turned your head slightly to relieve some of the strain. Shit, wait, your faces were closer than you anticipated. You tried to keep your eyes on anything but him. Of course, your current position wasn’t very generous about that.

     Eventually, your eyes were forced to fall on him again. If anything, this was the first time you were able to get a good look at him. Now that you looked closely, he actually didn’t look much like David. You noticed he had a very faint dusting of freckles near the bridge of his nose. His eyes, you would say, were his freakiest assets. They were…strikingly blue. Not quite the “warm summer ocean” shade of blue but more like a “cold winter glacier”. It was ridiculous. Your gaze unconsciously drifted downward to his lips and- wait, was that a piercing scar? Your eyes suddenly made contact and you nonchalantly averted your gaze. Goddamnit, you’d be lucky if he didn’t tease you later for staring.

     There was a slight nudge on your belt. "I've got it.”

     "Try to find the talk button." Daniel's hands searched around and it took him some few seconds to find the correct button. You heard the small beep go off and you spoke loudly, "David, are you there?"

     A tense moment of silence and then a reply, "I'm here, Y/N!"

     "Yeah uh, I happen to be in quite the pickle right now, actually. It involves rope. And me not being able to get out of that rope."

     "O-oh, what happened? Where are you?"

     Daniel spoke up impatiently. "Near the supply shed. Just get your ass over here, David."

     You could hear his confusion,"I-I’ll be right over, then!"

     The relieved sigh you’ve been holding drew out from your lungs and you relaxed in your bindings. You looked at Daniel and could tell that he was relieved too to some extent. You would have wanted to be cheeky and say, “Now that wasn’t too hard, was it” but you were too tired to care. Now all you two had to do was wait. Minutes floated by like years and you were left wondering why you stuck around with your shitty job when you heard someone approaching from behind.

     “Oh gosh, are you two alright?!” David rushed over to you and inspected the damage.

     Daniel gibed, “It’s about time.”

     You added, “We’re fine. I was worried that Max and the others got you or something.”

     “So they’re the ones who did this, huh?” He chuckled uneasily and tested how tightly wound the bolas were. “ I kind of expected as much.”

     Thankfully the knots weren’t complicated and David was able to untie and unwrap the ropes from around you two without a pocket knife. Daniel dusted off the dirt from his clothes as you rubbed at the irritation the rope left on the skin of your arms. You told David about Max’s silly proposition. Surely, later, they were reprimanded but you figured they were probably used to it.

* * *

      Approaching the end of the day, the campers were gathered around the campfire for some songs and storytelling - one of the least stressful and more enjoyable activities, yes, but you didn’t feel up to hanging around any longer. You asked David if it was alright for you to head back to your room early. He looked like he wanted to ask you if there was anything wrong, but he knew better than to pry at the time and let you off with a well-intentioned smile. You thanked him and shot a captious look at Daniel before retreating back into the counselor’s cabin. Changing out of your uniform into something more comfortable, you flopped onto your bed. You sighed against your sheets and closed your eyes, hoping that tomorrow would cut you some sort of slack. You sniffed. God, you still smelled Daniel’s obnoxious cologne on you.


	5. Late Rewards

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> People who work in food service have it tough too.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Now that we've reached this point, I just wanna point out that I’m working off my headcanon that Daniel had rich as fuck parents who covered up his record and prevented all of his arrests. He was their rebel atheist son who didn’t believe in their gods, so when he was 16, they reconditioned him by using a different, more long-term and nearly permanent form of brainwashing that didn’t completely inhibit free will and worked mostly as memory manipulation. Normally, cases like that were nearly irreversible and ways of snapping someone "out of it" varied between individuals. 
> 
> Anyhow, thank you all for the kind kudos and comments! Also, I apologize for the wait! I was focusing on pre-written future chapters for a while.

     “I don’t know, David, I don’t feel very safe leaving him with you.”

     “Oh, it’ll be fine!”

     “But what if it’s not? Let’s be honest, it was by total chance that you got rid of him last time. What happens if he pulls something like that again?”

     “H-he won’t-“

     “How do you know that?” You sighed and rubbed your temples. “I just don’t feel like coming back to a bunch of corpses today, alright? That’d be a lot of work on me.”

     David shoulders slumped and he wrung his hands nervously. He knew there was no easy way of changing your mind. “Um, a-alright, er, hurry back then? Please?”

     “Sure.”

     The night before, David was reminded of the pizza and ice cream party that was planned to be thrown after Mr. Campbell’s visit – the one that was supposed to be compensation for the campers’ hard work in preparations. You were surprised that he still wanted to go through with it since the campers did rebel and trash the camp the same day. You weren’t certain if the kids deserved the treats after the incident, but lately things with them had been rather easy. Nothing had caught on fire in more than a week and you thought that alone was pretty amazing. So you agreed to help prepare for  the small party and ordered the food in the morning. But one thing was for sure: you weren’t leaving David alone with Daniel – not if there was even the slightest threat of the past repeating itself. Call yourself paranoid, but you still weren’t taking any chances.

* * *

      Daniel, elsewhere by a utility sink near the activity field, was preoccupied with scrubbing at Preston’s paint slathered arms. Who in the hell thought it was a good idea to let kids handle oil paint? He was no artist, but he knew that oil paint wasn’t exactly the safest medium for children. Let alone the cleanest. He was lucky to have taken control of the situation before it blew itself out of proportion. Nikki, Space Kid, and Preston were the only ones who had a considerable amount of paint splashed onto them. “So elaborate for me again: why did you slather this stuff on your arms like it’s fucking lotion?” He’d gotten most of the paint off, but it seemed to have temporarily stained the boy’s skin a nasty looking mix of red, brown and blue.

     “Perfect acting is one thing, believable effects is another. Bloodshed always revs up the crowd!” Preston rested his free hand on his hip. Daniel shook his head slightly.

     “Right…” He was much too tired to question or argue the logic. If he’d actually gotten his coffee that morning then perhaps he would be. But, unfortunately, the coffee maker had a few gears knocked out of it by Ered in a not-so-functional game of football.

     “Ah, there you are. Come with me.” He felt a hand grab his arm and pull him back. He stumbled and turned to see, as he almost expected, you. “We’re going into town.”

     “What? At least let me finish-“

     “Preston can wait.” You paused to turn to the camper and said with a lighter tone, “We’ll be back in a few, okay? And paint swatches are better on paper than on your own skin, by the way.”

     The young boy shrugged before seeing you two off with an “au revoir” and turning to rejoin the others. In the meanwhile, you dragged Daniel towards the driveway until he wrenched his wrist from your grasp, “Why can’t you go yourself?”

     “Believe me, I can and would _like_ to, but I can’t just leave you alone here with a dork who can barely defend himself half of the time.” The car beeped weakly and you struggled with the driver’s door. “Oh, come on…” you grumbled before you finally yanked it open. Daniel did not want to be stuck doing errands with you, but he figured anything was better than being cooped up in the camp. It sounded like a quick trip anyway.

     “Aw, you still don’t trust me?” He stepped into the passenger side and his nose wrinkled at the indescribable amalgam of smells that barraged it. The interior reeked of stone age leather and artificial air fresheners and several other odors he couldn't hope to distinguish.

     “Please. I know those bolas were yours.”

     He coughed and drew the seatbelt over his chest. “You don’t have evidence that they were.” He didn't know why you were still so worked up over that. 

     “Not yet I don’t. So you’d better hope you don’t slip up today and change that.” The car’s engine wheezed and croaked until it kicked on.

     He adjusted himself against the scratchy seats and leaned his elbow on the ridge of the door. “I can’t reveal evidence of something I didn’t do.” With his cheek against the palm of his hand, he smirked, “If anything, I think you’re starting to like my company, Y/N.”

     You clicked your tongue and pulled the car out of the driveway, “Dream on.”

     “To be brutally honest though, I don’t think the lot of you are barely worth saving anymore. You can all rot in a pit for all I care.” He plucked off a post-it note that fell onto his lap from the overhead mirror.

     “Mm, gee, thanks for the comforting thought.”

     “Anytime.”

* * *

      Daniel doesn’t remember ever experiencing such a level of fear and discomfort during a car ride in his life –but the thirty minute drive from Camp Campbell to the town pizzeria stumped that statistic. It shook and rattled as if it were running on fumes (a quick look at the gas meter reassured him that no, the car was just a rickety old thing). The only “music” available was audio books of the Farmer’s Almanac. Ten minutes in, he had to crack a window open because the stench of artificial car freshener grew relentless and merciless. He asked mockingly if there was a full crate of them stashed somewhere in the trunk. You actually confirmed that. Just when he considered jumping out as the better alternative, you pulled up into the parking lot of the destination.

     “Wait here. I’ll be right back.”

     He rolled his eyes and sunk into the seat. He stared out the window, letting the AC blast cool air onto his face. He’d never seen such a quiet place in his life. He was so accustomed city streets, that it was strange to see the sidewalks as bare as a bone in the desert. Sure, there were one or two pedestrians out and about but that was as much as he saw. And it wasn’t necessarily a run-down or derelict town. It was just…sleepy, for a lack of a better term.

     Minutes passed and it felt as if your return was a bit overdue. Screw this. He might as well have stayed back at camp. He turned to check on you through the pizzeria windows. Oh, dear. It looked like you’d gotten into an argument with someone on the line. A middle-aged, red faced man was mouthing off heatedly at you. He could see by your tense posture and clenched fists that you were not in a happy place. Distressed. You looked very distressed. People at the tables were eyeing you two and those in line behind you were shuffling awkwardly.

     Daniel looked at his watch. At this rate, he would be held up by at least an hour. He sighed and got out of the car. Making sure to lock it behind him, he strolled right up to the commotion and interjected, “Excuse me, what seems to be the issue here?” You looked at him with wide eyes and were beaten to an explanation by the stranger.

     Daniel looked the man over with an unamused frown as he explained, “This bastard thinks they have the right to kick me out when I’m trying to fix a problem this _shitty_ excuse of a pizzeria started.”

     He could see anger and panic twist knots in your stomach. Your voice trembled as you spoke, “That was _not_ my point.“ 

     “Then tell me, buddy, what the fuck was your point?”

     “Well if you’d just calm down-“

     “Calm down? If you want a fight, I’ll give you a fight!” The man stepped forward and jabbed a finger at you and suddenly Daniel felt his already limited patience thinning. He stepped between the both of you.

     “You know, sir, I have gone through a lot of inconveniences today. Of which include but were not limited to a broken coffee machine, shitty co-workers, and a borderline oil paint free for all. All in all, I’ve just about had it with bullshit today. By any means, please don’t think I’m downplaying your own problems, but I promise you that things won’t go well if you test me.” Oh, there goes a neck crack. “So! It would be _very_ thoughtful if you would not be the next inconvenience, and kindly take your pizza to the store across the street.” He took a step forward and glowered down at the stranger with an off-putting grin, “Where you bought it _from_.”

     The man looked at the cover and lo and behold, the carton had the name of a different pizzeria that so happened to be across the street. His face went pale. You watched from behind Daniel as the man froze and stuttered for a moment before stomping out of the restaurant. As the door closed with a jingle of the bell, the cashier at the counter breathed out in relief. The tension in the air finally boiled back to normal and the casual background chatter arose again. You looked a bit dumbfounded - as if you were searching for a way to thank him.

     “Just get the damn pizza.”

     “Right…

     You were a bit less talkative for the remainder of the trip. Did the encounter rattle you that much? Ah well, he didn’t bother asking. The next stop was the ice cream shop located in a nearby plaza (which was still as quiet as any other part of the town). He watched as you disappeared into the store and busied himself by propping his legs up onto the dashboard and at trying to at least get a few moments of rest. He settled with the low buzz of the AC and the chirping of the sparrows in the tree the car was parked below. For moment, he thought you managed to tangle yourself in another verbal scuffle when he heard the door to the back seat open. He saw you shoved the box of ice cream cups into the back seat along with the pizza and dusted off your hands.

     “Well, that should be everything.” You slipped back into the driver’s seat. “We’d best hurry back before the ice cream melts.”

     “I really didn’t expect for this little errand run to last more than two hours.”

     “Neither did I…” You put the keys into ignition and paused, “Oh, and uh, I found this at a gift shop while I was on the way back.” You pulled something out of a bag and placed it onto his lap. It was a mug that had the phrase “I’m not always a bitch. Just kidding, go fuck yourself” printed along its face. You struggled with the engine again before it sputtered to life. “It reminded me of you.”

      Daniel quirked a brow. What the hell? Was this some sort of thank you gift for saving your ass earlier? “Uh…Wow. How sweet of you.”

     The drive back was a silent one, save for the sound of the wheels humming over the road and the occasional clunk of the vehicle’s knick knacks. Daniel kept his gaze out the window and his mind kept flitting back to the mug. It’s not like he hadn’t received gifts in the past – quite the opposite actually. But they were all always the same: expensive but otherwise dry and lacking. He was taught to be grateful for everything gifted to him, and he was but that didn’t mean he could expect meaning in them. He’d received gold watches, designer clothes, rare antiques, and everything in between. But then you came along and gave him that tacky little mug…Odd. Simply odd. He didn’t believe he needed thanks, if that’s what it was. All he did was tell off some troublesome loser that happened to annoy him; he didn’t intend or see it as a helpful gesture. Why would you even want to thank him all of a sudden? Did he pull you from that tight of a spot? But you seemed to be the type of person to crave confrontation. Fuck, wait, was he thinking too much into it? He had to be. He was.

     Daniel stole a glance at you. You still looked tense. You always kind of were, he’d noticed that much. Your lips were drawn into a tight line and your gaze was fixed stiffly on the road in a way that seemed as if it would be awkward for it to be anywhere else.

     You pulled up to the driveway and parked near the counselor’s cabin. “I’m going to take these to the mess hall.” You killed the engine and went to grab the box of ice cream cups you left on the backseat. “Can you check on the kids? See if they did any major damage while we were gone.” You hefted up the box and headed off for the mess hall. He gave a half-assed grunt in reply and stepped out of the passenger seat. As he turned to close the door, he remembered the mug you’d gotten him was still in the holder and he paused. It was a cheeky thing.

     But it wouldn’t hurt to keep it.


	6. Game Night

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Maybe no, maybe so...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for the all the kind comments and suggestions! As it so happens, I have upcoming chapters basically already laid out, but ExhaustedOstrich and Trutheboo, I’ll keep your suggestions in mind! As always, hope you guys enjoy.

     Nights were always Daniel’s favorite. Away from the city, things were so…quiet. With the skies so clear, he was left alone with the stars. They weren’t drowned out and choked by city lights or smothered by clouds. No, they were brighter and sharper than ever in Sleepy Peak. The uncomfortable daytime summer heat simmered down during the late hours, leaving the sun’s quiet sibling to paint the tree line in modest pales. Of all the places, the pier and lakeside were his favorite. Moonlight would ripple through the water and he could see fireflies dance across the shoreline. No troublesome little kids or testy, suspicious co-workers to bother him. Don’t get him wrong, he still loathed being at Camp Campbell with a passion, but he might as well’ve made the most of it. Even in the pits of hell, a writhing sinner would still find a pit that was just a smidgen more comfortable than another.

     The lake shuddered at the lick of a breeze. His gaze shifted to the slight breath of water that swayed against the legs of the dock. He didn’t know why he was still here. His plans had long since whipped around and blown up in front of his face. The plumbing was abysmal, the campers were spoiled little devils, the weather and heat inherently merciless; not a single crevice of Camp Campbell could possibly compete with the life he came from. He had no reason to stay – nothing that could have given the camp any worth to him. Yet, he was still here, braving the landslide of misfortunes. ‘You’ve grown bored’, a voice nips at the back of his mind. Bored of the monotony of sermons and masses and conferences, bored of the blinding white limestone tiles, and persistent stench of incense and candles. A firefly flits and blinks by his knees. No, he’s not bored. Bored isn’t the right word. He would love to get back to his life. He was just…waiting? But waiting for what?

     The reflection of the stars suddenly caught his eyes and he tensed. They looked as if they would rise from the lake - they smelled his doubt – his uncertainty. His stare faltered for a second and they were just pinpricks in the water again. He stood promptly and gathered his violin case. That was enough for the night. The wood of the dock clicked and creaked under his boots as he headed back towards the cabin. The bright rectangle of light shone like eyes in the distance. Passing the campers’ tents, he checked that they were all asleep one last time for the night.

     Daniel’s hand lingered on the doorknob for a second when the screeching of moving furniture sounded from inside. If he cared enough to be curious of what you two were up to, he probably would be. But things don’t work like that with him. He slipped into the cabin and saw that a space in the communal area was cleared of tables and chairs. All of the lamps were flipped on and a few water bottles were propped on the table. He spotted the two of you spreading out some kind of mat with your backs turned to him. You’d both changed into some casual sleepwear. Quite frankly, he wanted none of it to be part of his business. If he was quick and quiet, maybe he could avoid interaction. Though, the cabin itself seemed to hate him too and a floorboard creaked underneath his heel as he took a step. 

     David turned his head and piped, “Oh, hey! Great timing! We’re just setting up for game night. You should come play with us!” 

     He rolled his eyes and resisted the urge to drag a hand down his face, “And why should I?”

     You shrugged, “It’s not exactly a question of why, but if you want it to be: why shouldn’t you?” You were leaned against a chair with your ankles crossed. There was a look on your face that seemed as if you already knew what his answer would be.

     Astonishingly enough for him, he at least gave it a quick thought. His parents never allowed time for games. They were studious people; tenacious and unwavering in their schedules and plans. His father would chide, waving a finger as he tugged at the gold tie around his shirt, ‘Our Saviors did not die for us to fool around with cards and games, Daniel. Live for purpose, not play.’ But of course, they weren’t here. None of them were. And so, for once, he decided to indulge you two. “Alright then…”

     He could see the look of surprise flash across your face. David beamed beside you, “Great!”

     “Well, since David chose the name of the game last time, it was my turn to pick.” You patted the empty box on the table. “We’re playing Twister.”

     “You know how to play it, right?” David twisted off the cap of his water bottle.

     Daniel wavered as he moved to set his violin case aside and tried to ride out the fact that no, he did not. “Not…in particular, no.” He eyed the plastic dotted mat spread out on the floor and the unfamiliar cover of the game box. 

     “Here, let’s all get into position first.” He watched as you took one side of the mat and David the other. Daniel untied his boots and set them aside before assuming a place by one of the remaining sides. “Basically in a nutshell, we spin this wheel here and we’ll have to put either our foot or hand on whatever color it lands on.”

     Daniel frowned. “That sounds a bit asinine.” 

     “Ah, but that’s why it’s fun.” You stretched your arms and shook out your legs, “So, rule is: once your ass, elbow, or knee touches the mat, you’re out.” 

     “If we’re all ready, Y/N, you go first, and then we’ll go clockwise, okay?”

     The first few minutes of the game went as simple and easy as could be. One leg there. An arm here. Rinse and repeat. You were currently crouched down with your right foot and left hand on blue, left foot on red, and right hand in the air. David was parallel to you with hands free and his legs crossed to reach yellow and blue dots. Daniel had his left hand on red, right on yellow, right foot on blue and the other lifted off the mat. It wasn’t unbearable, but he was starting to feel an inkling of an ache. Still, nothing he wouldn’t be able to handle. Although, he couldn’t quite figure out how the standard maximum number of players docked at four. It may have just been him, but three felt crowded enough.

     “Your turn, assmunch.” You grunted as you tossed the spinner under yourself and over to Daniel. Giving it a flick, he waited as the black pointer spun and spun to land on…

     “Oh, fuck that.” 

     David tried to look over, “What’s wrong? What did you get?”

     “Right foot in the air.” His left foot was already off the mat, which meant…”There’s no way I’m doing a handstand. I’m spinning again.”

     “Hey, you’ve got to do what the board tells you to do!” He could hear the cheeky grin in your voice. 

     “Fuck you! I’d like to see you do a handstand!”

     “If the opportunity comes, hell yeah.”

     “I’m still spinning again.”

     You clicked you tongue and jeered, “For  _shame_ , quitter.”

     A few turns ahead and the game had twisted you into a backwards-pushup type position. Supporting your weight on the palms of your hands, your head hadn’t much else to go but by Daniel’s shoulder. He recoiled and gave you a peculiar look. You wiggled your eyebrows.

    He seethed, “I will snap your neck like a twig.” Well, now, he wanted so badly to beat you up. But that would risk him losing the game – and he would not let that happen. Not with the kind of opponents he had.

     You made a face and looked away, “Honestly, that would be doing me a favor.” He could see you look over shoulder before you called, “David, what the fuck?” David had grabbed the mat, fist gripping onto a red dot for dear life. 

     The redhead wheezed, “I don’t know how much more I can take, Y\N!” He readjusted his grasp and attempted to not pull the mat itself, ”Holy cheese and crackers, I feel like my limbs are going to fall off!”

     Daniel looked over and smirked. Winning against David should be a no-brainer. Sure, he wasn’t doing so well himself – his legs were starting to ache and shake and a thin sheen of sweat started to build over his skin. He hung his head low and tried to ignore the shaking in his arms. 

     “What’s wrong, Daniel? Getting tired, too?” To his dismay, you noticed the slight trembling and had asked pointedly.

     He shook his head and, although a bit out of breath, said, “I could do this all night.”

     And all night did the game nearly last. The fact that the clock showed it was already half past midnight went unnoticed. As things progressed, Daniel and you were playing mostly out of pure spite and stubbornness. David- he was probably just playing for the heck of it. But hell knew how much longer he would be holding up. The game had looped him every which way. He strained and struggled to reach the other side of the mat for a green dot without toppling over. But he wasn’t the only one not doing so hot. 

     The muscles in your arms were starting to burn and you begged urgently, “David, oh my God, please hurry-“

     He gave a panicked whine,“I-I’m  _trying_!” 

     Daniel hissed, “Fuck, try  _harder_!”

     “Shit-!” He didn’t have time to react when your leg trembled and gave as you lost your balance. You tumbled over to your side, knocking over both him and David like dominoes. You all fell into a crumpled mass of limbs and chuckles. Daniel didn’t know what it was but he couldn’t stifle the laugh that he felt he’d been holding in longer than expected. He was sprawled out onto his back, breathless chuckles rolling off his chest to mingle with yours and David’s. Man alive, he hadn’t laughed like that in ages; in fact, he couldn’t even remember the last time he did. Faking a smile was one thing…feeling it genuinely was another. Before long, he realized things had gone silent. Wide eyes were set on him as if he’d grown another head. Catching his breath, he sat up and ran his fingers back through his hair. 

     “What?” He was trying so hard to hide it, but the smile was still prevalent in his voice. 

     You blinked, “Ah, nothing…” 

     David fanned himself, “How is that you’ve never played this game before?”

     “I never knew you were one to mock.” Daniel reached over at the table to grab a water bottle. He twisted the cap off and took a swig. 

     “Oh no no, I’m not mocking you! I’m just wondering, is all!”

     “You know what they say about the cat and its curiosity, David.” Putting the water bottle aside, he stood up and dusted off his jeans, “Let’s go again. I won’t accept a tie.”

     “Oh dear…”

     You stretched to readjust the wrinkled mat, “Yeah? Twenty bucks I’ll be the one to break it.”

     “Aw, you two, can’t we play it for fun and not for a one-up on each other?” 

     A simultaneous “No”.

     Round two wasn’t easy – much less so than the first. Neither one of you could figure out how you were physically able to go through two games of Twister after a hard day of work. That said, the round was also significantly shorter than the first. David proposed that he forfeit, but Daniel insisted that if he won, he wanted it to be fair and square with no tap-outs. No, he didn’t think of it silly to take Twister so seriously. Neither did you. If it weren’t for physical limits, the game would probably have carried on until dawn at the least. But the human body had ways of working and the result of the first round repeated itself in a surprisingly and hauntingly similar manner.

     Daniel slumped in his chair, head craned back with a wet towel slung around his neck.“There’s no way we could possibly get tied twice in a row. Seriously, how?” 

     “I have no idea.” You shook your head and readjusted the washcloth over your eyes and forehead. 

     David was leaned forward, dumped onto the table when he looked up to groan, “What…what time is it?”

     “Eleven?”

     David looked over at the clock and jolted with a gasp, “Jiminy, it’s almost 2 AM! We’ve been playing for that long?”

     “Forget this, I’m going to bed. We’re settling this another time.” Daniel grunted as he picked himself up from the chair. The soreness had begun to settle deep in his muscles and he trudged off like he was a million years old. Boy, he was going to feel that in the morning.

     Disappearing into his room, a weary “good night” or two were mumbled from behind him to which he responded with a tired grumble. He left the washcloth on the foot of his bed to be taken care of in the morning. He spread himself out onto his sheets and rested his eyes. He didn’t know if he could call it “fun”, but that was the most of whatever it was he’d had since…fuck, he really couldn’t even remember when. He was exhausted, yes, but not in way that bothered him. It wasn’t the kind of tired he felt after a day of fruitless yelling and explaining that beehives were not soccer balls. “Happy” or “content” would have been too strong of a word to apply to what was running through his system. It would be easier and best to say that he was not upset, not displeased, not unhappy. He turned onto his side. The moonlight peeking through the window hit the bedside table and the mug he left on it – the one you’d given him. 

     Maybe he did know why he stayed.

     Maybe.


	7. Things to Consider

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> More questions, not so many answers.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Music Inspirations:  
> 10,000 Weight in Gold - The Head and the Heart  
> Cool with You - Hers  
> I'll Be Good- Jaymes Young  
> its not love- Lontalius  
> Unfold - The XX  
> Oceans- Seafret  
> Gravity - Sara Bareilles  
> Neptune - Sleeping at Last

     The following days seemed…odd. At least to Daniel, they did. He felt stuck in the middle - neither friend nor foe. You didn’t hover around him anymore, as if you were waiting for him to pull some heinous trick. You two didn’t have to fight every time you so much as looked at each other. For that, he should have felt grateful. And he did, in a way. But just as the world worked, good things come with a cost. He just didn’t know what that cost was yet.

* * *

      Today was a Thursday. The wind breathed favorably and not a single threatening rain cloud speckled the sky. Perfect weather meant, as David had explained,  kite-flying weather. So whatever was scheduled for the late morning was pushed to the next day and replaced with DIY kites. 

     Daniel glanced over. You were talking to Ered, explaining that the activity was to make a kite, not a skateboard. In recent times, you’d become somewhat neutral towards him. But you weren’t comfortable enough to joke with him like you did with David. There were a lot of things that you showed with David that you didn’t with him. Not that it mattered to him. Not that it bothered him. Not that he could have expected it from you. 

     He saw David bouncing around the tables, tending to each of the campers’ needs if called for. David’s friendliness was of the usual – nothing significant. Though there was something he suspected buried deep. Perhaps a lingering grudge from their first encounter and the fear that Daniel would take over his job. That wasn’t something to be worried about, in all honesty. But the fact of the matter was, David most likely didn’t want him around either. No one did. In any other circumstance, he wouldn’t have minded that at all. In fact, it would be strange for them not to feel that way. But that was okay. It was fine. 

     “Ugh, David can you get me the step stool? I left it in the mess hall and Harrison’s kite got stuck in a tree.”

     “Just a moment!”

     Daniel looked over. A dove shaped kite was snagged on a low branch and you just barely missed it with each swipe. You cursed under your breath and held your hand over your eyes to shield them from the sun. It was fun to watch you struggle. But he pushed off the tree he was leaning on and was at your side before you noticed. He was tall enough to be able to reach for the kite and plucked it off the branch.

     “Ah, thanks…” You took it off his hands as if you were unsure or surprised. 

     “That’ll be forty bucks and a limb.”

     You huffed. “As if.” You went off back to Harrison’s table and called, “Hey, never mind about the step stool!”

     He felt a tug at his leg. He looked down and Space Kid was at is heel, looking rather distressed. “Daniel, I think there might be something wrong with my kite.”

     He sighed and shoved his hands into his pockets, “Alright, let’s take a look.” He followed the boy over to a table and inspected the kite – which so happened to be relatively bare and all wood. It was built in the shape of a spaceship. Understandable. Though, it currently didn’t have anything attached that could possibly catch the wind.  “…Space Kid, your kite is just wood right now. You need the plastic sheets to-“

     "But it’s gotta be sturdy if it’s going to space!” 

     “It’s not going-“ He pressed the bridge of his nose and took a deep breath. No sweat, no fret. “If it’s going to get to space, it needs to be able to fly first, and it won’t be able to fly if it doesn’t have the plastic sheets.” 

     “Ohh…”

     He took some spare plastic bags and and positioned it properly underneath the frame. He stood aside to make room for Space Kid to take over. “Here. For now, worry about actually getting it in the air.” 

     “Roger that!”

     He crossed his arms and stayed with Space Kid a bit longer, just in case. He didn’t feel like having to patch up any injuries the campers might inflict themselves with – a bit too early for that. By the pier, Daniel spotted David and Preston by the edge. The boy was crumpled over with David patting his shaking shoulders. In the distance, a kite bobbed quite sadly in the water. He could hear Preston wail tearily, “Farewell, fair Opehlia” and David utter a soft, “Oh, we’ll make you a new one, okay?”

     When all of the campers had their kites finished, tried, and tested, they were gathered around the flagpole. David announced that he knew of a large enough meadow nearby where the kites could be flown. You were beside him with a hiking pack around your shoulders, most likely carrying water and snacks. It was promised that the walk would not be too long, probably fifteen minutes at best. There were whines and mild complaints but the campers went along with it and were broken up into groups for safer monitoring. 

     Daniel wasn’t much for hiking. It didn’t appeal to him. He was taught to always be “appreciative of the natural beauty of the world”, but no one really mentioned the pesky bugs, mud, and grueling heat that came with it. Now, with that, it would be understandable to say that he was not very familiar with nature in general. He’d spent most of his childhood in Trocaderò, 16th Arrondissement, with his grand-maman while his parents were away on official business. Being an essentially urban borough, the 16th Arrondissement would certainly not be the place to find hiking routes or secluded waterfalls (Paris, in general, wasn’t exactly famous for hiking trails anyway). And although it was praised as a luxurious, high end neighborhood, he remembered finding it a bit…dull. Lackluster. 

     He trailed behind in the back to ensure that none of the kids strayed from the path. He tried to stay along the shadows of the foliage and away from the persistent sunlight. If he’d known better, he wouldn’t have worn jeans…But just as promised, a clearing was approaching from up ahead. He held his hand over his eyes as the tree line fell back. The meadow was a decent size. Not the most beautiful, but still pretty in its own way. He could see white wildflowers dusted along the tall grass. There was a certain crispness in the air and he wished, for a second, that he’d grown up elsewhere – maybe a place that had secrets like this.

     The campers branched out with their kites in hand. David called, “Stay where we can see you and don’t go too far, okay? And Nurf, please don’t try to strangle anyone with your kite string! That’s not what they’re made for.”

     “Exactly. If you want to strangle someone, just use your bare hands, man. It’s easier.”

     “ _Y/N_!” 

     Daniel chuckled.

     It didn’t take long to get the kites in the air. Other than a scuffle between Harrison and Nerris over tangled kites and Nurf almost poking Dolph’s eye out, there weren’t many problems. Max and Neil settled with sitting by the shade while Nikki tried to chase (and probably eat) butterflies. As things settled down, you and David stayed by a hill to chat and laugh about who knew what. He didn’t think he’d ever noticed it before but when you smiled, your eyes crinkled at the corners and, if you were really tickled by something, your laugh would pitch up to a snort. But something like that couldn’t possibly be for him. They were most often for David. Daniel picked a flower and tied it tightly at the stem. Something in the way you and David laughed together made his skin crawl. 

     In what felt like no time at all, the sun started set and the kids were treated to snacks and water before making the trek back to the camp for dinner.

* * *

      Come nightfall, the the campers were fed, cleaned up, and put to bed. The day seemed to have dragged on longer than usual, so he was more than happy to finally have some time to himself. Daniel sighed and relaxed back against a log, the cold wood of his violin nestled underneath his chin. He’d attached a mute to his violin’s bridge, as per usual. He tended to want to avoid the possibility of noise complaints. He was set up near a small fire by the lakeside, a few feet away from the pier for a change. You and David had disappeared back into the cabin for the night doing who knew what. 

     Closing his eyes, he let his hand choose the tune. Le Premiere Rendez-vous by Rose Avril; he could remember it vividly as the song his grand-maman played constantly around the mansion. At first, of course, he was frustrated with it, calling it the song that would torment him even in the grave. He’d shut himself in his room and smother his ears with his pillow or stay out in the garden instead, anything to escape the song. But it latched onto him, curling itself into his mind and hands whenever he couldn’t think of anything else to play. 

     He opened his eyes and followed the dancing embers absently as they twisted and fluttered upwards. But even with the tune distracting his concerns and worries, his thoughts started to wander again. When you laughed and chatted with David, he felt…out of place. Like he didn’t belong – and to be frank, he  _obviously didn’t_. That much he knew was certain. 

     He stumbled with a note, but caught himself. You’d even told him before that he was kept spitefully but solely for the extra help around the camp. At the time, that didn’t bother him at all. But now, the thought was starting to sharpen itself into a dull point. As if it mattered to him what he was to you. His grip on his bow tightened and the note he was drawing out tapered to an ugly screech. He hated you, he hated David, he hated this backwater camp. At least that’s what he wanted to think, because that would be the easiest explanation, wouldn’t it?

     He sighed and lowered his violin. He’d gotten away with getting many of the things he’d wanted in the past, but this time, this was something he couldn’t take lightly or carelessly. Want…When did he start classifying it as that? What was it that he wanted? He looked up and the stars were glaring down at him, whispering and mumbling between their waltzes. His jaw clenched and he gripped his violin tighter. Why are things so complicated all of a sudden? Why couldn’t he have just finished the job when he first came here? Oh, right…the Kool-aid. The thing that was supposed to kill him. He set his violin aside and stared out onto the lake. It was all such a chore. 

     Suddenly, movement along in the shadows caught his eye. There was low visibility, but he could just barely make out some features. 

     “Max?” The figure stopped and, having adjusted with the dim light of the fire, revealed that his assumptions were correct, “What are you doing up so late?” Daniel didn’t exactly mean for it to sound accusatory or suspicious. 

     Stepping closer into the light, Max stuffed his hands into the pockets of his hoodie and said a matter-of-factly, “Getting a cup of water.”

     “The water dispenser is that way.” Daniel cocked his head in the opposite direction of where he seemed to be heading.  _Now_  he could be suspicious. 

     “Uh, right.” The boy faked a yawn. “Still kinda tired.”

     “Why don’t I walk you there.” That was more of a statement more than inquiry. Daniel carefully propped his violin against the log and stood, brushing off the stray pieces from his pants.

     “What? I don’t need a fucking  _escort_  for water.”

     “Well, since you were going the wrong way, I’m afraid I would have to beg to differ.”

     Max’s eye twitched but he went off towards the dispenser. Daniel followed behind in comfortable enough distance. He was a peculiar one, Max. Mischievous, wily, troublesome. A pain in most everyone’s ass. But cunning nonetheless. If they’d been introduced in…different circumstances, maybe they could have even gotten along. Maybe. The boy pulled a cup from the holster and poured water. The cup was only filled halfway and chugged in a quick flick. Turning around, Max looked him straight in the eye, crushed the foam cup in a fist (with a bit of difficulty, mind him), and tossed it into the trash can. 

     Daniel couldn’t blame Max for his attitude and behavior towards him. And so he let the boy walk off back towards the tents, watching as Max held his head low and kicked at the gravel. When he was gone, Daniel doused the fire, snuffed out the remaining embers, and packed up to go back into the cabin. He didn’t feel like staying out to practice anymore.  Nights seemed to be getting colder and colder.

* * *

      Tonight was Bob Ross night. You had your elbow rested on one of the arms of the couch, your stretched out legs propped perpendicularly atop David’s lap. He was sprawled on the other end with his cheek pressed against the palm of his hand. He'd only recently introduced you to show and since then, you were hooked. Wednesday nights were eventually reserved for chilling on the couch with an episode of Bob Ross. You both had built up a sort of…de-stressing regiment over the past few seasons. Bob Ross nights were scheduled strategically as a mid-week break- a way to evenly spread the stress. The cabin was silent, save for the gentle drawl of the show from the TV’s weak speakers. You rested your head against the couch cushions and crinkled your nose to try and stifle a yawn.

     David mused, “Why haven’t we ever done Art Camp like that, again?”

     “Mm…consider the type of kids we’re dealing with. I don’t think we’d get very far.” You glanced at him.

     “We got them to cooperate today though, didn’t we?” 

     A shrug. “Today, sure. Tomorrow and the next day?” You scoffed. “Maybe not. You know them. Their collective temperament is probably judged by a coin toss.“

     “Well, that’s the excitement of it, isn’t it? The unpredictability.” He grinned.

     “Only you, man, only you…” You shook your head. 

     The mellowness of your night was suddenly interrupted when you heard the cabin door open. You looked behind you. Daniel had walked in, and quite early. David perked up beside you, “Oh, Daniel, do you want to come join us? We’re watching Bob Ross.” You knew he was just being nice with the offer, but you didn’t think Daniel would be into it at the moment. The blonde’s eyes flickered to screen and then between the both of you. You looked down at what was in his hands. He was carrying his violin and bow. He must have been playing it by the pier again, as you figured out he usually did.

     “No thank you…” He opened his door and set his instrument aside before poking his head out of the room “Oh, and I ran into Max on the way here. He seemed to be up to something so I would keep an eye out if I were you.” His door closed with a clunk. 

     You let your head drop against the cushion with a deep groan. “Fucking hell. I’m not messing with that. It can wait until tomorrow.”

     “It’s alright, I can do a few rounds again before I turn in tonight!”

     “Ugh, don’t push yourself to that, David. You should rest.”

     “What if it’s urgent?”

     “We’ll both deal with it first thing in the morning, okay?”

     You watched as David stared forward, biting his lower lip lightly before nodding. You knew David tried very hard. You could see it so easily and you wished he would at least let himself have a decent rest. He stretched himself out so thin during the week, worrying about this and stressing about that. It was a familiar sensation to you too, and maybe that’s why you didn’t want it for him. The rest of the night went seamlessly; no explosions, spontaneous fires, or any signs of alarm. But it would probably give David better peace of mind to still do checkups in the morning. The lull of the TV eventually played out to your drowsiness.

* * *

      The next time you woke, it was to the sound of the cabin door closing. The kink in the hinge that was supposed to be fixed months ago knocked you out of your sleep and you realized the scratchy fabric that rubbed against didn’t feel like your bed. You blinked as your eyes adjusted. Apparently, you’d fallen asleep on the couch and with a blanket that David most likely left with you. You drew a deep breath and shifted against the cushions , hoping to fall back to sleep. You counted the taps of the tree branch against one of the windows. One, two, three, four…There was enough sleep in you to not want to stay awake, but not enough to make you doze off again. Minutes dragged on as if you were waiting for rain in a drought. You’d counted fifty taps and you were beat. No luck. You nudged the blanket off your shoulders and swung your legs over. The room was still dark and flooded with a tired, blue hue. You looked at the clock. It was barely 3:30 AM. You yawned and with your eyelids still heavy, you slid off the couch. 

     You trudged towards the small kitchen area and moved passed the window, but something caught your eye. A figure was sitting out by the steps. You paused to move the curtains and squinted. It was David. Hm. He was just sitting there on the steps, his legs pulled in close and his chin resting on his folded arms. Did he sleep walk? No, he’s never done that before. But he was a rather light sleeper. Did he actually go out to make rounds? There was a possibility. Or maybe it was just one of those nights – the ones he’d been recently having far too often.

     After pouring yourself a glass of water, you tucked your feet into your slippers and stepped outside. The moment you poked his shoulder, he flinched and recoiled from you as if you were fire. He turned and you realized that it was Daniel. Darn.

     “Shit, sorry, I thought you were David.”

     His frown returned and he looked away. 

     “It’s past 3 AM though, why are you awake?” You leaned your arm against the doorframe. A chilly breeze licked at your arms and rose goosebumps on your skin. You tucked them closer to your body. 

     He muttered, “I should be asking  _you_  that.”

     “Well, you woke me up when you left the cabin. Thanks for that, by the way.” No response. You took another sip of water and let it cool your throat before starting again, “Uh, it’s getting late and we’ve got another early day tomorrow. So we should probably try to get back to sleep.” 

     “No shit.” He grumbled and looked at you past his shoulder.

     You cocked an eyebrow and muttered a ‘Damn, alright then’ into your mug as you brought it back to your lips. You should have expected to peg him as an insomniac. You wondered if he even got any sleep when he came into the cabin. After the day was done, he usually disappeared somewhere- normally to the pier, and you never stayed up long enough to see him come back in. He never exactly hung around unless he needed to and you weren’t complaining, but he seemed rather…lonely to you sometimes. But maybe that was a figment of your imagination. Ah, well, it never hurt you to be nice to him for once, no matter how awful he was. Besides, in recent days, you found that he was actually becoming quite tolerable, albeit strangely quiet. Which was actually fine, too. 

     “We might not have sleeping pills, but I can make you some warm milk with honey. Maybe that’ll help. Come back inside.” You jerked your head and gestured him to tag along. He gave you a terse look but he picked himself up and followed you in. You passed by the lamp and flicked it on. It wasn’t bright enough outside to make it easy to see. Pulling open the fridge, you  squinted your eyes as you were hit with the glare of the light. You reached for the carton of milk and gave it a shake. Still full. You closed the fridge and set the milk on the table. You searched through the cabinet and pulled out his mug. You were surprised at first to see that he’d actually started using it. The first time you caught him using it was an early Saturday morning. He was leaned against the counter, still in sweatpants and a t-shirt with his hair slightly unkempt. A peculiar sight, really.  

     You poured out a quarter of milk. Daniel watched you silently as you moved over to place it into the old rickety microwave. You set it to 15 seconds. “I don’t know if it’ll work with you, but it’s worth a try, I guess.”  You stopped it before the timer hit zero and carefully fished it out. You crouched over to grab the honey from the cabinet underneath you and drizzled a few tablespoons worth into the warm milk. Letting the stirred honey dissolve, you slid the mug over to him, ”Bone app the tit, or however the fuck it goes.”

     He took the drink and gave it a suspicious look for a moment before tilting it back, testing the flavor. He shrugged, “I’ve tasted much better.” He turned to take a seat by the rickety round table but you didn’t see him discard the mug. In fact, he was still drinking it. ”I appreciate the effort though.” A small, satisfied smile played at the corners of your lips. 

     “How are the cuts on your back, by the way?”

     “Wouldn’t you like to know.”

     “If I didn’t, I wouldn’t have asked.”

     He huffed. “They’re fine. Scarred, but fine.” You take a sip of your water when you hear him ask quietly, “Why did you get me this? The mug, I mean?”

     You looked up and hummed from the rim of your cup, “Hm?” He was looking at you. You averted your eyes and suddenly found fascination in the floorboards. “Oh, uh…well, I’m not very good at thank you’s, to be honest.”

     “I am aware.”

     You sighed and and slumped against the doorframe. “And…you did help me out that day, whether you knew it or not. I don’t know, it’s just that – I cry easily? Always have. Even more so when I’m really annoyed and angry. And if that guy went on any further, I really would have started crying. I wouldn’t have wanted to look like that in there, especially at that time. Don’t get me wrong, I’d still fight him, but just with tears in my eyes. Which… would look pretty pathetic either way.”

     He seemed satisfied with your explanation. Being an easy cryer wasn’t so helpful in most, if not all situations. Not when a guidance counselor is asking if the edgy poem you wrote was “indicative of deeper, harmful feelings” or when you’re trying to make a speech in front of blinding spotlights and a packed auditorium. Fragile tear ducts, people have told you, were all it was. 

     You glanced at the scar below his lip and remembered that you hadn’t asked him about it yet. “I never knew you used to have a lip piercing.“ 

     "That’s because I never had one.”

     You pursed your lips, “So then what’s this scar you have here?” You gestured below your lip to mirror the placement of the mark. “I mean, it’s clearly from a piercing. I know what they look like.”

     “I don’t…remember ever getting one.” He looked genuinely confused. 

     “Hm. Alright, well, some people are pretty wild like that. I just noticed it a while back and thought I would ask. Who am I to judge, yeah?” You finished the last drops of water and left your cup in the sink. “I’m gonna head back to bed, hopefully get some sleep before my alarm starts to yell at me.”

     And so you left him to his own devices. Whatever was up was his to worry about. You finally felt drowsy enough to hopefully catch a few more hours of sleep. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Edit (10-20-17):  
> Hey guys, thanks for all the kind comments! I apologize for the wait, classes and work started up again and I've got my hands full! Good news is that future chapters are relatively scoped out, I just need to add on to them! So thank you all for reading and I hope you stick through the ride if you want ;)!  
> Until next time!


End file.
